bennett



Patented May 9, 1899. B. J. BENNETT.

REED RGAN.

Annlcation iled Jan. 28, 1897.)

3y Sheetsv-Shest l.

(No Model.)

Patented May 9, |899.

R. J. BENNETT..

R E E D D H G A N (Applicationv med Jan. 2B, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet `2.

(N0 Model.)

No. 624,742. Patented May 9, |899.

R. J. BENNETT.

(Application led Inn. 28, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3- (No Nudel.)

me Nunms Pzrzns oooooooooooooooooooooooooo c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. BENNETT, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LYON d; HEALY, OF SAME PLACE.

REED-ORGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent o. 624,742, dated May 9, 1899.

Application tiled January 28, 1897. Serial No. 621,011. (No model.) I

T0 (tZZ wton it may normering n Be it known that I, ROBERT J. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reed-Organs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in organs of the type employing reeds for producing the sound and also resonators auxiliary to the wind-chests.

Heretofore the resonators employed have been constructed and arranged in a manner permitting the resonators to buckle under the influence ofI the blast and produce a-foreign discordant sound and also causing the instrument to get out of tune. Heretofore also in organs of this type the communication between the resonator and the wind-chest has been regulated and controlled by means of valves interposed between the wind-chest and the resonator, resulting in serious difficulties caused by the leakage of the valves and the complications of mechanism for operating the v valves.

My invention has for its object the provision of resonators'of a construction and form which avoid buckling and consequent production of discordant sounds and which do not affect the tone of the instrument injuriously.

A further object of my invention is to provide free unobstructed communication between the wind-chest and resonator and operate each register of reeds by controllingr the communication between the wind-trunk and the resonator.

To accomplish the result irst mentioned, I provide resonators of a cylindrical form, which, in cooperation with the wind-chests, source of air-pressure, land controlling-valves operated from the keyboard, produce full, clear, and amplified tones of greatly-im proved quality and quantity without accompanying discordant sounds and without affecting the tone of the instrument injuriously.

In accomplishing the second result mentioned I provide aresonator for each register of reeds, in close proximity to the wind-chest thereof, communication between the windchest and resonator being constantly open and unobstructed, and locate the valves for controlling the register of reeds between the resonator and the wind-tru nk leading to th source of air-pressure.

My invention further consists in certain features, details of construction, and arrangement and combinations of parts about to be described, and pointed out in my claims, reference being now had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a cross-section through the keyboard and a vertical section through the reedcells, wind-chests, and resonators, also showing the connections between thekeys and pallets. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view iu section, showing the course ofthe air through one reed and resonatorA to and through the wind-trunk or chimney leading from the resonators to the suction-bellows, the stop-actuated valves being removed, the valves and their operating connections being omitted for clearness. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, showingthe stop-actuated valves in the windtrunk or chimney and the connections between said valves and the stops, this View also showing the knee pedal and connections. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View of the stop-controlling valve and the immediate connections therefor. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the organ, a portion of two of the resonators being broken away to show the outlet to the Wind-trunk and one of the resonators also broken away to show the divisional partition therein. Fig. 6 is a perspective View in detail of the connections between the unison-stop actuator and the stop-valves and the connections between said unison-stop actuator and the knee-lever. Fig. 7 .is a detail enlarged view in section, showing the connection between the key and the key-lever and also showing the means whereby an adjustment of this connection may be effected. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing the crank by which the Hap cover-ing the key at the point of juncture with the key-lever may be lifted. Fig. 9 is an end View showing the recess within which the crank is disposed. Fig.j9 is a cross-section. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the octave-coupler connections between the full-organ knee-lever and the octave-coupler stop. Fig. ll is a front elevation of the organ, the exterior casing being removed and the wind-chest and reedboard being broken away toshow the divisional partitions in the wind-chest. Fig. 12 is a detail view in section, showing the partition closing the Wind-chest from the windtrunk. Figs. 13 and let represent, respectively, side and plan Views of the holding-button for the end of the spring which maintains the pallet-lifting rod in position. Fig. 15 is a detail view showing one forni of construction for the key-lever fulcrum. Fig. 16 is a View of the pivot-plate. Fig. 17 is a modified form of key-lever fulcrum. Fig. 18 is a detail view of the lifting extensions carried by the lifting-rod which open the pallets. Fig. 19 is a -perspective view of one of the pallets and its flexible connecting-tongue.

I shall hereinafter describe the improvements which I have effected in conjunction with that class of reed-organs in which reeds are arranged in sets and have a stop for each set, the reeds of each set being sounded by the creation of a vacuum in the rear of the pallets, whereby upon opening any one of the pallets from the keyboard by a key the air passes through the pallet-port and sounds the reed, provided the stop for` that set of Areeds has iirst been opened, which includes this reed to be sounded.

I will proceed Iirst with a description of the key-operated parts and the arrangement of the pallets, the reed-cells,and resonators, and also in conjunction therewith will explain the construction and arrangement of the windtrunk or chimney and the stop-actuated valves located therein.

The horizontal sets of reeds are arranged in tiers one above the other and the pallets in vertical rows, each vertical row of pallets being lifted simultaneously by a key and its connections, as is common in organs of this class.

Referring to Fig. 1, the keys 15 are connected, in a manner to be hereinafter described, with the pallet-lifting rod 16, which I carries lifting extensions 17', engaging` proset of reeds to which the pallets are hinged has a wind-chest 22, which extends continuf ously along beneath the reed-cells 23, in which latter the reeds 2i are secured, each of the reed-cells of each set having communication with one common wind-chest, Jthis construction being also of the usual character.

Extended along in the rear of the windchests 22 and of the reed-cells 23 are thehorizontal circular resonators 25, which resonators are disposed the one above the other and are each supported to have communication with all the reed-cells of one horizontal set of reeds. I thus provide horizontal sets of reeds and resonators for each set, the sets of reeds and resonators thereforbeing arranged in tiers. Each one of these resonators 25 has communication at one or both of its ends with a wind-trunk or chimney 26, located at one or both sides of the organ, and this windtrunk or chimney 26 is vertically divided by a central partition 27, thus forming the bellows wind-channel or draft-passage 2S, which is common to all of the resonators or to all upon that side of the organ. The remaining portion of the wind-trunk or chimney 26 on the other side of the central partition 27 is divided into compartments arranged one above the other and formed by the transverse partitions 29, Fig. 4L, and these compartments I term cresonator-receiving chambers 30, as each of the resonators 25 respectively communicates with the said chambers 30 through the openings 31, Fig. 2.

Referring now to the means by which any one of the reeds of `any given set may be sounded by astop for that set when its pallet is raised by a key, it will be observed that I provide ports 32 between each resonator-receiving chamber 30 and the bellows windchannel 28 and control communication between each of said chambers and the said bellows wind channel by the stopvalves 33, which close or open the ports 3:3.

The course of the air in the sounding of a reed may be followed by referring to Fig. 2, the arrows indicating the direction of travel of the air first through the pallet 19, the reedcell 23, and wind-chest 22 to the resonator 25, and thence through the resonator-receiving chamber 30 and the stop-valve port 32 into and through the bellows-channel 28 to the bellows 35.

It will be observed that I provide a plurality of resonators, each one of whichis common to all the reeds of one set and located in the rear of the reed-board. These resonators are made of suitable metal and are circular in cross-section. By this construction I avoid buckling of the material of which the resonators are composed, which buckling is caused by the strain incident to the reduction of IOO IIO

pressure in the resonators by the bellows, the

circular form of the resonators in cross-section resisting such strain from all sides.

I will now describe the connections between the keys 15 and the vertical lifting-rods 16, opening the pallets 19, only one of which rods is shown in the drawings for the sake of clearness, it being understood, of course, that each key has its individual lifting-rod connecting each of the pallets in a vertical row, the number of such pallets corresponding to the number of stops. A key-lever 36 is pivotally mounted upon a suitable support in the manner hereinafter described and has one end connected to the lifting-rod 1G, while the other is connected with the key 15. The key-lever 36 is connected to the keys 15 in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 7, in which it will be observed that a key-rod 37 extends upward from each key-lever and terminates in a head 39a,

into which an adjusting-screw 37a extends,

The recesses are all in line and are covered by a pivoted cover 40, which is operated by a crank or handle 41, as shown clearly in Figs. 7, S, 9, and 9.

In order to open all of the stops simultaneously, which result, however, has heretofore been accomplished by different means, I provide the unison-stop actuator 54, which is operated by the knee-lever 55 and intermediate connectionsconsisting of a shiftingbar 50, moved by the knee-lever 55, carryingr a projection l57, engaging one arm 5S of a rock-shaft 59, the other arm G0 of which is connected by a link 6l with one end of a pivoted pulling-lever G2, the other end of which lever rests upon a stud 03, held on the lower end of the unison-stop actuator 54.

The stop-valves 33 are separately operated by levers-40, links 42, crank-arms 43 and 45, and pull-downs 44, of which latter only one is shown. Formed with or connected to said crank-arms are actuator-cranks 04, which when the unison-stop actuator 54 is pulled down by the knee-lever and connections described are engaged each by one of a series of projections 06, carried by said actuator54, thereby opening all of the stops simultaneously. It is evident when any one of the pull-downs 44 is operated by a stop from the stop-board, the unison-stop actuator remaining stationary, that the actuator-cranks 64 simply move away from the projections 66, and when the unison-stop actuator is pulled down the crank-arms 45 simply move loosely downward upon the pull-downs 44, and thus the stop-knobs 53 are not thrown out. The unison-stop actuator, knee-lever, and connections are caused to resume their normal positions by the spring (37. The unison-stop actuator 54 is also guided and prevented from turning by means of the traveler 69, moving in a groove in the upper one of the holding bars 70, projected from the casing 71. The shaft 68 of the pulling-lever-62 extends from side to side of the organ and has a pulling;- lever 02 at each side, and therefore the rotation of the shaft 08 operates the other pullinglever 62 to actuate a similar mechanism at the other side of the organ, and thereby simultaneously open all of the stops on both sides Vof the organ with one knee-lever 55.

In Fig. l0 I have shown an octave-coupler which is adapted to be operated either by an octave-coupler stop 79 or by the knee-lever 55, and I will first describe the device in its operative relationship tov the shifting-bar 66 of the knee-lever 55, which carries an arm 80, engaging a lug Sl on the coupler-bar 82, and thus longitudinally moves the said bar in the direction of the arrow when the knee-lever is actuated. The coupler-bar 82 has pivoted to it the toggle-links 83 83, the lower links S3 beingpivoted to the stationary part of the frame (designated at S4) and the upper links 83 pivoted to the lifting coupling-board 8 5, hinged at S6. Pivoted upon this board S5 is the coupler .rock-shaft S7, having the engaged arm 88 depressed by the key 15 and the other arm engaging a button 88 on the key-rod to depress or pull down the key 15 of the octave in the unison, this form of connection being known in organs of this type.

The octave-coupler stop 79 is connected by the crank-arm S0 with the rock-shaft 90, the other arm 90"L of which is loosely connected with the pull-rod 91 and secured at the point of pivotal junction to the toggle-joint 92, one arm of which is pivoted to a stationary part of the organ-frame and the other arm carrying a stud 94, moving a short distance within a slot 95 in the coupler-bar S2 when the stop 79 is partially pulled outA In the continued outward pull of the stop the stud engages the end of said slot, and shifting the coupler-bar in the same direction as when operated by the knee-lever effects the octave-coupling. It is evident that when the knee-lever is operated to obtain full-organ effects the octave-coupler stop 79 remains undisturbed or when the latter is operated the former remains undisturbed. The spring 96 causes the couplerbar S2 to resume its normal position.

It is evident that the bottom 97 of the windchest 22 receives the impact of the sound-vibrations from the reeds, this bottom 97 being preferably made of wood, which is the material composing the remaining sides or walls of the Wind-chest and chambers.

In order to divide the organ into base and treble parts, I provide partitions 98 in the resonators 25 (shown in Fig. 5) and partitions 99 in the wind-chests 22, Fig. 11. In this construction the Wind-currents travel through the reeds in two different directions toward and into the wind-trunks 2G at either side, and thus means are provided for maintaining completeindependence of the base and treble.

I Will now describe Various details of construction in the different parts of the apparatus and will rst refer to the particular type of pallet 19 in Fig. 22. In this construction of pallet I provide the body portion 19 and the tongue 101, which connects the body portion aforesaid with the point of hinging at 20, and I form this connecting-tongue from a suitable metal, thus providing a metallic oonnection between the body portion 19 and the hinge 20. In this form of construction I obtain an advantage in that the body portion 19 of the pallet may be adjusted by bending the metallic tongue, as indicated by the dotted lines, and by this means the pallet-body is positioned in a plane which causes it to seat accurately upon the bevel end of the reedcell. The pallet-body 19 may be adjusted longitudinally by means of the slot 103 and the adjusting-screws 104, which provides for an adjustment of the pallet-body up and down upon the reed-cell. Formed integrally with the connecting-tongue 101 is the projecting tang 105, which is engaged by lifting eXtension 17 on the lifting-rod 1G to open the pallet.

In Fig. 21 I have shown a form of lifting extension 17 which is split or slotted at 106 IOO ITO

and has a perforation 107 therein, through which the lifting-rod 16 passes. The lifting extension 17 as thus constructed bites upon the lifting-rod 16 and is frictionally held in position upon this rod in a manner to permit ready adjustment by simply loosening the binding-screw.

In Figs. 15, 1G, and 17 I have shown forms of construction for the key-lever fulcrum 10Q, Fig. 1, and with this construction I slot the key-lever to permit the pivot-plate 110 to eX- tend upward into the key-lever and then secure said pivot-plate upon the frame by means of the flange 111 in the form shown in Fig. 15 or by the double flanges 112 and 113, as shown in Fig. 1G. The pivot-plate 110 is conn ected with the key-lever by the pivot-pin 114. i

InFigs. 13 and 14 I have shown the means for securing the spring which holds the lifting-rod in place, which spring is designated at 115, Fig. 1, and. is held at one end on the spring-bar 116, its other end engaging within a groove (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 13 and 14) in the spring-holding button 117, fixed 011 thelifting-rod 1G. I then provide a conlining-button 11S, held in position by a setscrew, which button 11S is adapted to be moved upon the lifting-rod 16, and thus serve to confine the end of the spring 115 or permit its ready removal.

I am aware that val ves have heretofore been located in the partition of a divided resonator, cutting off the farther chamber thereof from the suction of the wind-trunk, while leaving the nearer chamber in constant communication with said trunk, and to an arrangement of this character I make no claim, the object of my invention, so far as it relates to valvular connection between wind-trunk and resonator, being to entirely cut olf each and every part of the resonator from the influence of the wind-trunk whenever the valve -is closed. In the construction referred to the near chamber of the resonator being constantly open to the wind-trunk and having walls of course adapted to its function forms when cut off from the farther chamber an airpocket sensitive to the suction, but closed to access of external air, in which there is a continual struggle to make and to break a vacuum, inducive of false vibrations therein and in other resonators likewise thrown out of use by the closing of the valves between the sections. By locating the valve leading to the wind-trunk entirely beyond the area of the resonator or any part thereof I wholly avoid this reverberat-ory wind-pocket and its attendant deleterious effects.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A reed-organ, consisting of reed-cells, reeds and pallets, a wind-chest, a wind-trunk and a cylindrical resonator having communication both with the wind-chest, and windtrunk and valves operated by the draw-stops for controlling communication to the windtrunk.

2. The combinationwith the wind-chests, reed-cells, reeds and pallets, arranged in sets, of resonators communicating with the corresponding wind-chests a wind-trunk having a draft passage common to said resonators, means for creating an air-current in said passage, and independently-operable valves arranged respectively between each individual resonator andsaid common draft-passage, to open and close communication therebetween.

3. The combination with the wind-chests, reed-cells, reeds and pallets, arranged in sets of resonators communicating with the corresponding wind-chests, a wind-trunk coterminous with, and having a draft-passage common to all of said resonators, means for creating an air-current in said passage, and independently-operable valves respectively adapted to open and close communication between each individual resonator and said common draftpassage.

4. The combination with the reed cells, reeds and pallets, of a wind-chest, a resonator having constantly open communication with said wind-chest and of circular shape in crosssection, a wind-trunk, and a valve arranged to open and close communication between the resonator and the wind-trunk.

5. The combination with the reed cells, reeds and pallets, of a wind-chest, a resonator having constantly open communication with said wind-chest and of circular shape in cross-section, a wind-trunk, means for creating an air-current in the wind-trunk, and a valve arranged to open and close communication between the resonator and the windtrunk.

5. The combination with wind-chests, reed` cells, reeds and pallets arranged in sets one above another, of resonators arranged alongside said sets, which resonators are circularshaped in cross section and each in constantly open communication with the corresponding wind-chest, a wind-trunk, and 1independently-operable valves each arranged to open and close communication between the wind-trunk and one of the circular resonators.

'7. The combination with wind-chests, reedcells, reeds' and pallets arranged one above another, of resonators independent of each other, alongside said wind chests, respectively, and each in constant communication with the corresponding Wind-chest only,which resonators are also each circular-shaped in cross-section, a wind-trunk, means for creating an air-current in the wind-trunk, and independently-operable valves each arranged to open and close communication between the circular resonator and the wind-trunk.

S. In a reed-organ the combination with the reed-board and wind-chests of a wind-trunk leading to the bellows and embracing in its construction a bellows-channel and a series of resonator-receiving chambers, together III with resonators having communication with said receiving-chambers.

9. In a reed-organ the combination with the reed-board and wind-chest, of a wind-trunk leading to the bellows embracing in its construction a bellows-channel and a series of resonator-receiving chambers, together with resonators openinginto said resonator-receiving chambers and stop-controlled valves establishing or cutting off communication between the resonator-receiving chambers and the bellows-channel. v

10. In a reed-organ, the colnbination with the reed-board, reeds and pallets, of windchests, resonators communicating with the wind-chests, and wind-trunks leading to the bellows and embracing in their construction a bellows-channel and a series of resonatorreceiving chambers with which the resonators have communication, and stop-controlled valves for establishing or cutting olf communication between the resonator-receiving chamber and the bellows-channel.

11. In a reed-organ means forsecurng the spring holding the lifting-rod for the pallet removably in place, embracing in construction a grooved button fixed on the lifting-rod, in which groove the end of the spring rests, and a confining-button slidably mounted on the lifting-rod abovethe spring-holding button.

12. In an organ, means for connecting body portions of the pallet with its pivot or hinge, consisting of a flexible metallic tongue or neck, whereby the said body portion may be adjusted relative to the end of the reed-cell, together with means for longitudinally adj ustin g the body portion.

13. In an organ, means for connecting the body portion of the pallet with its pivot or hinge, consisting of a flexible metallic tongue or neck whereby the said body portion may be adjusted relative to the end of the reedcell and a projection formed integrally with the connecting neck or ton gue aforesaid which projection is engaged by an extension from the lifting-rod.

14. In an organ, the combination with the key and key-lever of the key-rod, a recess in the key, and an adjusting-screw disposed in said recess and located between the key and the key-rod, together with removable means for covering said recess in the key.

15. In a reed-organ the combination with a reed-cell and reed, of means for opening and closing the same to the outside air, a resonator communicating with the reed-cell, a wind-chest interposed between the reed-cell and the resonator and in constantly op'en communication with the latter, a wind-trunk connecting with said resonator and having a draft-passage leading to a bellows, and a valve between said resonator and passage so arranged as to entirely cut off the passage from the resonator when closed.

1G. In an organ, the combination with the key and key-lever of akey-rod, a recess in the key, and an adjusting-screw in the recess located between the key and the key-rod together with a pivoted cover for said recess.

17. In an organ, the combination with the keys and key-levers of key-rods, recesses in the keys in linewith each other, adjustingscrews disposed in the recesses and located between the keys and the key-rods and a pivoted cover above the keyboard adapted to removably cover the line of coincident recesses in the key.

18. In a reed-organ, octave-coupling connections between the octave-coupler stop and the knee-lever, embracing in construction a longitudinally-movable octave-coupler bar, actuating connections between said bars and the keys, coupling connections engaging extensions operated by the knee-lever to reciprocate the coupling-bar in one direction and thereby actuate the key-coupling connections, and intermediate connections between the octave-coupler stop .and the coupler-bar capable of a preliminary traverse before engaging said coupler-bar to actuate the keycoupling connections by the octave-,coupler stop.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

CHAs. C. BULKLEY, L. M. BULKLEY. 

